The Spurgeon family traces its lineage back to England, the early representatives of the family settling in Virginia. The grandfather of our subject
removed from the Old Dominion
State to Bourbon County, Ky.,
during the days of Daniel Boone
and other early pioneers, and here
Granville Spurgeon, Sr., was born
and reared. When he reached
young manhood he was married
to Lovina Sibley, who was born in
Prince Edward County, Va.,
and who was directly descended
from an influential English family.
Removing to Columbus, Ind., in
1830, Mr. Spurgeon engaged in
farming near there, for about ten years, when the family located in Clark County, Mo. After several years spent in agricultural pursuits there they removed to Alexandria, Mo., where Mr. Spurgeon engaged in the mercantile business and took a prominent part in the affairs of the community. It was during this period that Granville Spurgeon, Jr., the subject of this sketch, was born, on August 19, 1843, at Louisville, Ky., the family being on a visit there at the time.
Granville Spurgeon was educated in the private and public schools of Missouri, and also had the advantage of a course in a business college in that state. In 1849 his father had made the trip overland to California, and engaged in mining for eighteen months. As the years went by he again felt the call of the West, and in 1864 he again set out on the long journey, this time accompanied by his family, five months being spent in crossing the plains. They settled in Solano County, Cal., and here both parents passed away. Granville Spurgeon remained in Solano County for two years, then with his brother Benjamin and a sister he went to Watsonville, Santa Cruz County. In November, 1867, these two brothers joined their older brother, William H. Spurgeon, in Los Angeles County, taking up land between Compton and Los Angeles. William H. left them the following year, purchasing a tract of seventy-six acres belonging to the old Santiago de Santa Ana Grant, and here he laid out the town of Santa Ana. On the death of Benjamin Spurgeon in 1870, Granville Spurgeon joined his brother William H., entering into partnership with him, and from that date until his death, which occurred August 7, 1901, he was continuously identified with the development of Santa Ana, taking a prominent part in every undertaking and enterprise that gave this community its well-grounded, substantial start and enabled it to take its place as one of the representative cities of Southern California, so that the name of Spurgeon will ever be indissolubly associated with its history.
With his brother, W. H., Granville Spurgeon conducted the first mercantile establishment in Santa Ana, and for many years this was the leading establishment of the town. Later he established a thriving fire insurance business, continuing in this for a number of years, finally disposing of it at a good profit on account of his health. In later years he purchased a tract of 100 acres of peat land, devoting this to the production of celery. This was at the period when celery growing was at its height in Orange County, and Mr. Spurgeon was most successful in raising some of the finest celery ever grown here. During his early years here he acted as agent for the Wells Fargo Express Company, and later was appointed postmaster of Santa Ana, an office he filled for a number of years with the utmost satisfaction to the community. In fraternal circles Mr. Spurgeon was prominent in the ranks of the Odd Fellows, the Encampment and the Rebekahs, serving for sixteen years as treasurer of the subordinate lodge. While a believer in the principles of the Democratic party, he was essentially too broadminded to be swayed by mere partisanship, especially in local politics. At the time of his death, in 1901, he was one of the oldest residents of Santa Ana, and in his passing this city lost one of her stanch upbuilders and one who occupied a distinctive place in her development. Commencing life without means, Mr. Spurgeon's habits of thrift and industry, coupled with good business judgment, enabled him to amass a competency, and his life presents a record well worthy of emulation.
Mrs. Spurgeon, who before her marriage was Miss Frederica Reinhold, is a native of Milwaukee, Wis., where she received an excellent education. Coming to California in 1875 on a pleasure trip she met Mr. Spurgeon, at that time a leading merchant of Santa Ana, this acquaintance leading to their marriage the following year. They took up their residence in the house at Sixth and Main streets that Mr. Spurgeon had erected for his bride, and this remained the family home during his lifetime. After his death Mrs. Spurgeon disposed of the property and purchased her present home on North Broadway. Now among the oldest settlers of Santa Ana, Mrs. Spurgeon well remembers the early days of this now prosperous city, when what is now the finest residential section was a wilderness of wild mustard, and bearing little promise of the beautiful shady streets, attractive homes and well-kept lawns of today. A continuous resident of this city for forty-five years, with the exception of a year spent at Manitou, Colo., for Mr. Spurgeon's health, Mrs. Spurgeon has always taken the deepest interest in the welfare of the community, and, like her late husband, has shown a public spiritedness that has meant much to the advancement of the social and moral good of the whole neighborhood.
Of the two adopted daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Spurgeon, May S. is the wife of R. H. Ballard, president and general manager of the Southern California Edison Company, and they reside in Los Angeles. They have one daughter, Harriet, who is attending Vassar College. Helen S. is training for a professional nurse at the Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles.
